Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes

About the book: Daisy Dobbs has a mother and little twin brothers, but she lives far from them, serving as a maid in a big house owned by two refined old ladies. Daisy scrubs floors and sweeps stairs, washes dishes and peels potatoes. And sometimes she makes mistakes—like hanging the ladies’ red bloomers out the window for all to see. But in the evenings, Daisy sometimes has a moment to herself, which she uses for her favorite thing: borrowing books from the big house’s parlor. When disaster strikes in the form of a kitchen fire, and Daisy’s quick thinking saves the day, the ladies reward her in the best possible way. With atmospheric text and engaging illustrations, Shirley Hughes gently reminds us that reading is a gift to be treasured.

My thoughts: The treasured illustrations of Shirley Hughes grace the pages of Daisy Saves the Day bringing this sweet character to life for young readers. In the early 1900s two elderly spinster sisters live in London and Daisy is taken in as the young scullery maid. Up to this point, Daisy had lived at home with her "Mum" and twin brothers, caring for the twins while Mum worked. Daisy went to school and loved to read. But the time has come for Daisy to help with earnings.

She works very hard for the elderly sisters under the watchful eye of cook and maid who are ill-tempered sorts. The weariness of Daisy is shown in the charming art of Shirley Hughes. And the dreaded lost feeling of homesickness that overwhelms young Daisy when evening draws upon her.

If you don't purchase your own copy of Daisy Saves the Day, be sure you find one in a library and enjoy it. The stories and art of Shirley Hughes are not to be missed!

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Candlewick Press to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.